All good things must come to an end, and Dealspwn is no exception. We'll get right to the point - today is our last day of operation. While it is sad that we will be no more, there's no denying that we've had a fantastic run since we began in 2009. We've covered some utterly brilliant (and frankly terrible) games during that time, built up a fantastic community that has engaged and entertained us, and we saved you all a few pennies here and there.

Or sent out back the way of Old Yeller. I'm not sure how the internet actually works.

At one point, I thought that 2015 wasn’t going to be a great year for games, but boy was I wrong. Regardless of whatever system you owned, there was something for everyone to enjoy (even the Vita, provided you liked your Japanese imports). It certainly made choosing winners for some of these categories more challenging, that for sure. Anyway, enough banter - here are my picks for this year and the next. Enjoy!

Best New IP – Life Is Strange

I appreciate this won’t be for everyone, but Life Is Strange resonated with me in a rather surprising way. There were some utterly cringe-worthy moments, both in terms of the over-exaggerated Americana vibe and some of the utterly ridiculous dialogue (it was hella bad, y’all) but I got really invested in Max’s adventure. There were honestly times when I forgot there was a paranormal sub-plot to it all, as I was getting really invested in the characters.

More importantly, it was something that I played with my other half, as both of us agonised over the choices to be made (and, for the record, she chose poorly. Many times.) Admittedly, I did have some issues with way it ended, but the overall journey was something I would very much like DONTNOD to return to again. In short, if you liked adventure games and fancy something new, you should absolutely give this one a look.

So, that was 2015. I've reviewed a tonne of games this year and there's plenty to choose from when asked to pick out some favourites. So here are some of the best, the worst and the most memorable moments and games from 2015. There's also a look ahead to 2016's games.

Best new IP - Until Dawn

Man this was a busy category. But ultimately I had to be strict. Bloodborne is a bit too close to Dark Souls to be genuinely considered as a fully new IP. Rocket League is a sequel to the disastrously named Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. If Nintendo hadn't shot themselves in the foot by announcing the NX and killing my desire to buy a Wii U and enjoy some colourful rumblings with Splatoon, I might have gone that way. Lego Dimensions blew it by locking most of its £90 game behind multiple paywalls. Life is Strange was a genuine contender, but that ridiculous release schedule ruined the pacing and the hipster vibe made me want to tear off my own face a little bit too much for comfort.

Anyways, enough apologising, Until Dawn is a worthy winner. It should have been awful, especially after such a prolonged development, but the teen horror version of Heavy Rain was bags of fun. The interactive nature gave the player unprecedented control over the lives of the cast, meaning you could often kill off any characters that got on your nerves. The story could have been pants, but it finely balanced a mix of slasher movie scares with a supernatural twist that gelled together far better than expected. So much more than Hayden Panettiere in a towel. But that too. Until Dawn Review - A night to remember.

All done with Infamous: Second Son? Well, if you enjoyed the neon powers, you should check out the First Light DLC which delves into Fetch's backstory in and around Seattle. You don't even need the original game to play this standalone DLC. Hell, you could even play this first and then buy the main game if you've not played it yet. A guaranteed blast whichever way you approach it.

The story features a cast of fairy tale characters who are struggling to get by in a dark, 80s New York setting. Think a grimy noir version of Once Upon a Time with a murder investigation. Despite those trademark Telltale technical glitches, The Wolf Among Us is an essential purchase and exceeds the studios’ previous efforts in gameplay, visuals and voice acting. The impact of choices you make in interrogations, conversations and crime scene investigations will keep you hooked right until the end.

The Wolf Among Us is essential at £7.99 on PS4 is a post from: Dealspwn.com]]>Mon, 28 Dec 2015 12:52:01 +0000http://www.dealspwn.com/cry-4-limited-edition-1628-ps4-228983
http://www.dealspwn.com/cry-4-limited-edition-1628-ps4-228983

You can now pick up one of 2014's highlights, Far Cry 4: Limited Edition, for just £16.28 on PS4.

Far Cry 4 takes the action to the Himalayas and once again proves to be one of the greatest names in open-world gaming. Admittedly, many of the mechanics are the same as FC3, but the new setting makes everything feel fresh enough to dive back in. Plus you get to ride elephants into fortresses or play in co-op with a pal controlling the gyrocopter. PS4 owners will find some 'Keys to Kryat', DLC codes* to give to their friends so they can play co-op with them for a few hours, without even owning the game.

Jon highly rated Insomniac's Xbox One debut in his Sunset Overdrive review: Sunset Overdrive brings the fun. Though Insomniac's inexperience with open-world games leads to inconsistent mission design and a few oversights, its infectious energy, breathtaking traversal, silly weapons and violently colourful playground make for a brilliant way to blow off steam.

This sold out long before launch at most retailers and hasn't been seen since. Well aside from the ludicrously priced scalper appearances on ebay. So, £59.95 for the Xbox One version is an astonishing deal. The PS4 version is in stock too, albeit at £87.95, but that's still a great price compared to what we've seen before.

Bought an Xbox One, but just want to play old games? Well, you may as well play through some old favourites with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which is now available from just £15 preowned if pop into your local Cex store. Or get it delivered for £17.50.

This collection includes the Anniversary editions of Halo and Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4. Add in a 60 frames per second makeover and multiplayer modes that involve over 100 maps. Mmm, that's a lot of maps. The multiplayer has been a bit inconsistent online so far, but a massive update has fixed most of the issues, so maybe it's finally safe to get involved.

With the remake of Ocarina of Time being such a hit, we were eager to snap this one up too. Not so much for the 3D, more for the awesome game given an extra layer of polish. Seriously, N64 games do not look good on your TV nowadays. What better way to celebrate picking up the New 3DS model too. If you're yet undecided on buying one, be sure to check out Jon's New 3DS review.

Been waiting for a hot deal for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited on PC? This £7.59 deal is currently the cheapest price around. To get a 5% discount, go to the retailer's Facebook page and click the link. You don't have to enter an email address, just enter any text and press enter for a code.

Don't worry about online subscription fees, they were dropped long ago for this title. There's plenty to do in the main game, but when you're done, take a look at the Imperial City DLC. Still not sure? Take a look at Jon's console review.

Battlefield 4 had a rough start, but after extensive patch fixes it's a formidable shooter in the online arena. £8.54 is an outstanding price and I'd recommend these large scale battles over Hardline's more cramped shoot outs.

Post patches, Battlefield 4 stands tall as one of the finest multiplayer experience around. The battlefields are huge and the vehicles add a fun element that makes the series stand out from the crowd. Choppers, tanks, ATVs, boats and jeeps are all available. Although if you're ever playing with me, never get in the chopper if I'm flying it - we're going down upside down into the sea within seconds! Take a look at my PS4 review here. The newer Hardline, has a much better campaign mode and some fun multiplayer, but B4's epic scale of warfare makes it the clear winner for multiplayer fans.

Despite the generally passive nature of the experience, I enjoyed the story because the acting from the two leads of Ellen Page and Willem DaFoe is excellent throughout. Player choices don't have the same major impacts as Heavy Rain, but fans of Quantic Dream's efforts won't find a cheaper price than this today. It's certainly better value than shelling out for the new PS4 version.

Beyond: Two Souls is worth a shot at £5 is a post from: Dealspwn.com]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2015 13:14:07 +0000http://www.dealspwn.com/driveclub-season-pass-999-228956
http://www.dealspwn.com/driveclub-season-pass-999-228956

If you've been waiting for the right time to pounce on a DriveClub deal, now's the time. This PSN offer sees the full game and the Season Pass selling for just £9.99 if you're a PS+ member.

Sony and Evolution Studios have been hard at work since launch and the game's online issues (it was practically impossible to get online for the first two weeks) have been patched, meaning this is much closer to the driving game that was originally promised. The track design is exceptional both in terms of layout and visual class. Loading times for the single-player races are super fast too. The handling can be a mixed bag and the penalty system takes a while to adjust to, but this is well worth a look and setting online challenges for other users is competitive bliss. Later patches have also included rainy weather effects (I've never seen better) and there are a few extra events and vehicles available for free in the store too.

While we have seen this for slightly cheaper in the past, this is the lowest price at the time of writing by around a fiver. While it was ultimately a little short, what was there was a delightful cross between Fez and Screwball Scramble. In short, it's yet another title you really should have for your Wii U. Thanks to Gamer_U @ HUKD!

With the next best offer for a copy on Xbox One being over £10 more expensive, this offer is certainly worth highlighting. With the latest squad listings and all manner of graphical improvements, the big new additions this time around are the FUT Draft mode, an improved Career mode, tutorial indicators for newcomers, and the inclusion of international female players. Cheers to Buzz for the heads-up!

Get FIFA 16 on Xbox One for just £18.99 is a post from: Dealspwn.com]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2015 09:38:50 +0000http://www.dealspwn.com/assassins-creed-rogue-7-228946
http://www.dealspwn.com/assassins-creed-rogue-7-228946

All was not lost for the Assassin's Creed brand last year. Ubisoft Sofia provided an excellent sequel to Black Flag and £7 is a very reasonable price for the PS3 version.

Compared to Unity, this is a masterpiece The combat's not broken, there's a rich and varied world to explore and yes, ruddy big pirate ships are back in. If you had fun with Captain Kenway, you should snap this one right up. Check out my Sunday Seven which sings the game's praises compared to Unity.

Been waiting for a hot deal for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited on PS4 and Xbox One? This excellent price is the best I've seen and comfortably cheaper than the competition. It also comes with some extra in-game currency.

Don't worry about online subscription fees, they were dropped long ago for this title. There's plenty to do in the main game, but when you're done, take a look at the Imperial City DLC. Still not sure? Take a look at Jon's console review.

Wolfenstein: The New Order on PS4 and Xbox One is super hot for £10, especially for the Occupied Edition, which comes with a 20-page tour guide of occupied Britain and some postcards. You'll find an invite to the upcoming Doom beta too. This is currently a few quid cheaper than the standard version.

Wolfenstein: The New Order was a good shout for Game of the Year in 2014 thanks to it providing a classic bombastic old school shooter experience. There's an outstanding stealth game in there too if you fancy being a bit sneaky. Fantastic replay value is offered by multiple routes, unique skills and loads of treasure to reclaim from the Nazis. The story is way better than I expected too, with a pleasing mix of emotions and grin-inducing one liners. More of this please!